Barbecane de la porte Saint-Jean (Niort)

In the Middle Ages, the city is surrounded by ramparts. Two main streets cross it: Saint-Gelais street and Saint-Jean street. They each end in a city door protected by a barbacan, an advanced bastion pierced by loopholes. Only the foundations of the barbeque in Saint-Jean Square are preserved today.
At that time, Rue Saint-Jean is a busy and noisy shopping street, lined with inns and descending to the old halls (rue Victor Hugo). It allows the complete crossing of the old town, from the South to the North. This Paris-La Rochelle route is followed by the pilgrims from Saint-Jacques de Compostelle from Parthenay who gather in the chapel of Saint-Jacques de Notre-Dame de Niort.